Phototherapy-Based Treatment for Sexually Transmitted Infections—Shining Light into Unexplored Territory

New therapeutic strategies are urgently needed to overcome drawbacks in the treatment of some infections, particularly sexually transmitted infections (STI). STIs easily spread by transmission various bacteria, viruses, and parasites with being incurable or even lethal, leading a serious impact on reproductive health worldwide. Phototherapy (PT) is major approach based controlled administration light visible, near infrared, UV spectrum, without application an external photosensitizer. Despite fact that PT has not been explored its full potential control STIs, it already demonstrated good clinical response rates lower recurrence genital infections. For instance, increasing evidence 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (5-ALA-PDT) effective condyloma acuminatum (CA), eliminating causative latent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, also antiviral recurrent herpes simplex virus (HSV) The PDT new for oral fungal infection caused Candida albicans adult acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, immunodeficiency (HIV), could be used Another antimicrobial strategy, water-filtered infrared A combined visible irradiation, shown against Chlamydia trachomatis bacterial optical nano-genosensor designed diagnosis trichomoniasis, parasitic Trichomonas vaginalis infection. This review aims summarize published effectiveness suppression STI-related pathogens types.